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Neohapsis > Archives > Compaq Product Updates> 2001-q3

From: system PRIVILEGED account (rootnfsserver.support.compaq.com)
Date: Mon Aug 20 2001 - 02:30:41 CDT

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*******************************************************************************
* *
* This is a newly released patch... *
* *
* Online links can be found at *
* http://ftp.support.compaq.com/patches/public/vms/axp/v7.3/dec-axpvms-vms73_xfc-v0100--4.README
*******************************************************************************

TITLE: OpenVMS VMS73_XFC-V0100 Alpha V7.3 XFC ECO Summary

New Kit Date : 20-AUG-2001
Modification Date: Not Applicable
Modification Type: New Kit

NOTE: An OpenVMS saveset or PCSI installation file is stored
       on the Internet in a self-expanding compressed file.

       For OpenVMS savesets, the name of the compressed saveset
       file will be kit_name.a-dcx_vaxexe for OpenVMS VAX or
       kit_name.a-dcx_axpexe for OpenVMS Alpha. Once the OpenVMS
       saveset is copied to your system, expand the compressed
       saveset by typing RUN kitname.dcx_vaxexe or kitname.dcx_alpexe.

       For PCSI files, once the PCSI file is copied to your system,
       rename the PCSI file to kitname-dcx_axpexe.pcsi, then it can
       be expanded by typing RUN kitname-dcx_axpexe.pcsi. The resultant
       file will be the PCSI installation file which can be used to install
       the ECO.

OP/SYS: OpenVMS Alpha

COMPONENT: XFC

SOURCE: Compaq Computer Corporation

ECO INFORMATION:

     ECO Kit Name: VMS73_XFC-V0100
                    DEC-AXPVMS-VMS73_XFC-V0100--4.PCSI
     ECO Kits Superseded by This ECO Kit: None
     ECO Kit Approximate Size: 1968 Blocks
     Kit Applies To: OpenVMS Alpha V7.3
     System/Cluster Reboot Necessary: Yes
     Rolling Re-boot Supported: Yes
     Installation Rating: INSTALL_1
                            1 - To be installed on all systems running
                                the listed version(s) of OpenVMS.

Kit Dependencies:

The following remedial kit(s) must be installed BEFORE
installation of this kit:

None

In order to receive all the corrections listed in this
kit, the following remedial kits should also be installed:

None

ECO KIT SUMMARY:

An ECO kit exists for XFC components on OpenVMS Alpha V7.3.
This kit addresses the following problems:

PROBLEMS ADDRESSED IN VMS73_XFC-V0100 KIT:

  o Within a cluster, processes may seem to hang in an RWAST
     state, as seen by the SHOW SYSTEM command. Using SDA, and the
     SHOW PROC/LOCK command, the process will be seen to own a
     F11B$xxx type resource - or be waiting for one. On the XFC
     node that has the originating problem, repeated use of the
     command:

SDA> XFC SHOW CONTEXT/BRIEF

will display a Close File CTX that never disappears:

Extract from Sample SDA Output:

OpenVMS (TM) Alpha Operating System, Version V7.3
-- System Dump Analysis ---

     Address I/O Type I/O Stall reason
     FFFFFFFF858AA310 eiotFALUpConversio ... estrLockUpConvRequ
     FFFFFFFF84F45F50 eiotFALUpConversio ... estrLockUpConvRequ
     FFFFFFFF86C269D0 eiotFALUpConversio ... estrLockUpConvRequ
     FFFFFFF8595CA50 eiotFALUpConversio ... estrLockUpConvRequ
                                .
                                .
                                .
                                .

        Images Affected: [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.EXE
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.EXE
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.STB
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.STB

o Incorrect readahead operations can cause data corruption on
bound volume sets.

o An incorrectly selected UCB on segmented reads and writes can
cause data corruption on bound volumes.

o During a cluster transition, an INVEXCEPTION crash at
SYS$XFCACHE + 8240 can occur.

     Crashdump Summary Information:
     ------------------------------
       Crash Time: 2-MAY-2001 04:02:30.51
       Bugcheck Type: INVPTEFMT, Invalid page table entry
                          format
       Node: RM763B (Cluster)
       CPU Type: AlphaServer 4100 5/600 8MB
       VMS Version: V7.3
       Current Process: NULL
       Current Image: <not available>
       Failing PC: FFFFFFFF.800CD6DC
                          IOC_STD$PTETOPFN_C+0008C
       Failing PS: 28000000.00000804
       Module: IO_ROUTINES (Link Date/Time:
                          17-MAR-2001 03:30:01.24)
       Offset: 000056DC

        Images Affected: [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.EXE
                           [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.EXE
                           [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.STB
                           [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.STB

o The system may hang or experience an INCONSTATE crash due to
memory leaks.

        Images Affected: [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.EXE
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.EXE
                          [SYSLIB]XFC$SDA.EXE
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.STB
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.STB

  o When modifying the SYSGEN parameter VCC_MAX_CACHE, writing
     ACTIVE and issuing the SET CACHE/RESET command, XFC would not
     quickly react to a reduction in size. Even though all of
     memory is in use and processes are pagefaulting, the size of
     the XFC does not shrink dynamically as documented. This
     causes a lot of processes to hang in RWMPB due to the
     inability to allocate out to their WSEXTENT.

o An RESEXH bugcheck occurs with repeated use of FASTIO.

        Images Affected: [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.EXE
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.EXE
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.SDA
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.SDA

  o When using XFC on a system using Software RAID to bind mounted
     Shadowsets, the RAID$SERVER process can hang in a MUTEX wait
     state.

  o When XFC is called back to release memory, it can eventually
     get locked up in a recursive call to itself trying to release
     memory it doesn't have. This would usually lead to a system
     wide hang, but could possibly lead to CPUSPINWAITs also.

o The dynamic growth of XFC could not be set to larger than 50%
of physical memory.

        Images Affected: [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.EXE
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.EXE
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE.STB
                          [SYS$LDR]SYS$XFCACHE_MON.STB
INSTALLATION NOTES:

This kit requires a system reboot. Compaq strongly recommends that
a reboot is performed immediately after kit installation to avoid
system instability

If you have other nodes in your OpenVMS cluster, they must also be
rebooted in order to make use of the new image(s). If it is not
possible or convenient to reboot the entire cluster at this time, a
rolling re-boot may be performed.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Install this kit with the POLYCENTER Software installation utility
by logging into the SYSTEM account, and typing the following at the
DCL prompt:

PRODUCT INSTALL VMS73_XFC /SOURCE=[location of Kit]

The kit location may be a tape drive, CD, or a disk directory that
contains the kit.

Additional help on installing PCSI kits can be found by typing
HELP PRODUCT INSTALL at the system prompt

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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